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Familiar Names in Baseball Draft

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
.c The Associated Press


NEW YORK (AP) - The Seattle Mariners saw a familiar name on the draft board and couldn't pass him up.

The Mariners drafted Michael Garciaparra, brother of Boston's Nomar Garciaparra, with the 36th pick in Tuesday's baseball draft. He was one of a handful of players with famous bloodlines selected on the draft's first day.

Others included Hall of Famer Robin Yount's son, high school first baseman Dustin Yount; high school second baseman Joshua Barfield, son of former major league outfielder Jesse Barfield; Arizona outfielder Shelley Duncan, son of St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan; Florida high school first baseman Casey Kotchman, son of Anaheim minor league manager and scout Tom Kotchman; Central Arizona College shortstop Scott Hairston, son of former major leaguer Jerry Hairston and brother of Baltimore second baseman Jerry Hairston Jr.

Long Beach State shortstop Bobby Crosby, son of former big league infielder and Arizona scout Ed Crosby; Delaware outfielder Vince Vukovich, son of former major leaguer and Philadelphia third-base coach John Vukovich; high school righty Brian Pilkington, nephew of former major league pitcher Bert Blyleven; and shortstop Isaac Iorg, son of former big leaguer Garth Iorg and nephew of Dane Iorg, were also drafted Tuesday.

Garciaparra, a 6-foot-1 shortstop out of Don Bosco H.S. in California, missed most of the baseball season after recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL sustained during a football game.

``He is very similar to his older brother at the same stage of their careers,'' said Roger Jongewaard, Mariners vice president of scouting and player development. ``Michael is a little bigger than Nomar was at the same age, and we like him a lot.''

Garciaparra accepted a scholarship offer from Tennessee, but is eager to start a pro career.

``It's a win-win situation for me,'' Garciaparra said. ``If it works out, fine. If not, I will go to college.''

Yount, from Chaparral H.S. in Arizona, was selected by Baltimore in the ninth round. Barfield, from Klein H.S. in Texas, was drafted by San Diego in the fourth round.

Duncan, taken by the New York Yankees in the second round, had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last season, but rebounded this year to lead the Pac-10 with 24 home runs, 78 RBIs and a .702 slugging percentage. He also set Arizona's career record with 55 homers.

Kotchman, selected with the 13th overall pick by Anaheim, was considered one of the top high school hitters in the country at Seminole High School.

Hairston, drafted by Arizona in the third round, is the first triple-crown winner in Arizona community college history, batting .503 with 18 homers and 77 RBIs. His uncle John and grandfather Sam also played in the majors.

Crosby was taken by Oakland with the 25th pick in the draft.

Vukovich, taken in the 20th round by Philadelphia, helped lead the Blue Hens to the NCAA tournament this season.

``Obviously it is a thrill to get drafted, and on top of that, to be drafted by my hometown team and the team that my father coaches for,'' Vukovich said.

Pilkington was drafted by Los Angeles in the second round out of Santiago H.S. in California.

Iorg, who played his freshman season at Brigham Young and completes a two-year Morman mission later this month, was drafted in the 19th round by Toronto.

AP-NY-06-06-01 0203EDT